Countries that drive on the left
There are 169 countries and territories that drive on the left side of the road, as of 2023. This includes 53 countries and territories in Africa, 32 in Asia, 24 in Europe, 14 in Oceania, and 46 in the Americas.
Countries that drive on the left are concentrated in certain regions of the world. Africa and Oceania have the highest proportion of left-driving countries, with over 75% of countries in each region driving on the left. Asia and Europe have a more even mix of left- and right-driving countries, while the Americas is the only region with a clear majority of right-driving countries.
There are a number of reasons why some countries drive on the left and others drive on the right. One of the most common reasons is that a country was once a British colony. When a country was under British rule, it was often required to adopt British laws and customs, including driving on the left. This is why many former British colonies, such as Australia, India, and South Africa, drive on the left today.
Another reason why some countries drive on the left is that they are located near or surrounded by other countries that drive on the left. For example, Japan is located near China and South Korea, both of which drive on the left. This is why Japan also drives on the left.
In some cases, a country may have switched from driving on the left to driving on the right, or vice versa. For example, Sweden switched from driving on the left to driving on the right in 1967. This was done in order to make it easier for Swedish drivers to travel to neighboring countries, most of which drive on the right.
Here is a list of all the countries that drive on the left, as of 2023:
Africa
- Anguilla
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Ascension Island
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Bermuda
- Botswana
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- British Virgin Islands
- Burundi
- Cayman Islands
- Christmas Island
- Cocos (Keeling) Islands
- Cook Islands
- Dominica
- Falkland Islands
- Fiji
- Gambia
- Grenada
- Guernsey
- Guyana
- Hong Kong
- Isle of Man
- Jamaica
- Jersey
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Malta
- Mauritius
- Montserrat
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Norfolk Island
- Papua New Guinea
- Pitcairn Islands
- Rwanda
- Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Solomon Islands
- South Africa
- Swaziland
- Tanzania
- Tokelau
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Uganda
- United Kingdom
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Asia
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- Brunei
- East Timor
- India
- Indonesia
- Japan
- Macau
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Singapore
- Sri Lanka
- Thailand
Europe
- Channel Islands
- Cyprus
- Ireland
- Isle of Man
- Malta
Oceania
- American Samoa
- Australia
- Christmas Island
- Cocos (Keeling) Islands
- Cook Islands
- Fiji
- Kiribati
- Nauru
- New Zealand
- Niue
- Norfolk Island
- Papua New Guinea
- Pitcairn Islands
- Samoa
- Solomon Islands
- Tokelau
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
Americas
- Anguilla
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Bermuda
- British Virgin Islands
- Cayman Islands
- Dominica
- Falkland Islands
- Grenada
- Guyana
- Jamaica
- Montserrat
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Sint Maarten
- Suriname
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turks and Caicos Islands
Sources:
- books.google.com/books?id=szSdcVwxBjwC
- www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004031926743.html
- www.comparethemarket.com/car-insurance/content/countries-that-drive-on-the-left/
- www.medscape.com/viewarticle/878076_2
